Studio 3, Inc.

Creatively Curated: Why Studio 3, Inc.’s Team is Top of the Line

Posted on March 10, 2017

Stylist, trendsetter, initiator, innovator or trailblazer—call it what you want, the ability to curate food and drink takes enviable creative flair. Erika Macias and Marianne Sao are two of the magicians behind Studio 3, Inc.’s mouth-watering food photography. When you work with Studio 3, Inc. one thing is for sure; you are working with the best. We hand-pick our team of freelancers and train them in the art of perfection.

Erika Macias on set at Studio 3, Inc.

Meet Erika Macias; Trained in the culinary arts at The Art Institute of Seattle, Macias quickly realized she did not want to work crazy hours in a big kitchen. Following her creative passions, Macias soon found herself under the wing of Studio 3 Inc. photographer, David Bell. Through one-on-one training with Bell, Macias went from bumping into sets to perfecting them.

Marianne Sao on set at Studio 3, Inc.

Meet Marianne Sao; Similarly to Macias’s story, Sao styling career “just happened.” After attending design school, Sao began her climb up the creative ladder as a production artist, then a designer, and then an art director. Sao’s love of food eventually led her to the cultivation of her passion, becoming a food stylist. “I cooked and baked … but making it look beautiful on camera took time and lots of trial and error.” The trial and error paid off and over the years Sao and the team have created many masterpieces.

Seafood Oysters Seattle Magazine — Studio 3, Inc.

Shot for Seattle Magazine Photography by David Bell @Studio 3, Inc. Styling by Marianne Sao

It’s not only beautiful photography that attracts freelancers to Studio 3, Inc., but also the reputation of renowned food photographer, David Bell. “I like working with David Bell because we click creatively,” shared Sao. “He always has great faith in what I do, which gives me confidence to do my best.”

DB 9327T Sardine Dish 1500 FD — Studio 3, Inc.

Styled by Macias, photographed by David Bell @ Studio 3, Inc.

It’s Bell’s great faith that attracts stylists and clients alike. “I love the relationships that Studio 3 creates with their clients,” explained Macias. “It makes it a lot easier for me to jump in and introduce myself, and It creates a safety net for the clients. They know since Studio 3 hired me, I’m going to be good at my job.”

Shot for Seattle Magazine cover 2016 photography by David Bell @ Studio 3, Inc.

Accountability for a high standard of photography, videography and digital production sets us apart from the competition. Not only does Studio 3, Inc. compile an all-star team, but that level of excellency transgresses between clients, freelance stylists, and production hands to create Studio 3, Inc. magic.

14 Reasons to Love Studio 3, Inc.

Posted on February 9, 2017

Photo Credit: David Bell, Studio 3, Inc.

Reaching out to clients and our team, we have compiled a list of just a few reasons you will love Studio 3, Inc. The balance of exceptional skill, competitive pricing and LOTS of fun is what brings our long-term clients back again and again, while also attracting new ones. In other words, what is it that makes you say “Wow! Maybe it’s time to work with Studio 3.”

“Beyond expectation”

“Creative people, all day every day”

“Dynamic, visual storytelling”

“Top-notch production”

“Good people. Great Photos”

“On budget. On time. Every time.”

“Savvy producers”

“Best Mexican food in Seattle”

“Collaborative group”

“Naturally on the same page”

“Consistency & meticulousness”

“Decades of experience”

“Audgie, the studio dog”

“Teamwork and creativity that make our client’s creative ambitions come to life”

Don’t take our word for it, visit our Portland or Seattle studio and see for yourself! Drop us a line, we would love to talk photography, video or retouching with you over a cup of Stash tea or a game of ping-pong.

Top Tech Toys for 2017

Posted on January 10, 2017

Yeah, we’re not sure how we made it through 2016 either, but now that 2017 is here we wanted to share what we’re excited about for the NEW year. Although we love raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens as much as the next guy, it’s this batch of new tech products that are making their way to the top of our list of favorite things! Sure, Virtual Reality is hot, hot, hot, but we wanted to highlight some other items that are equally whoa-worthy. If you have a love of photography like we do, then grab your hot cocoa, curl up next the fire, and take a peek at some of the latest and greatest tech toys you just gotta get your hands on this year.

Wacom Cintiq Pro

The new line of Wacom tablets to debut this year are bringing the art back to Photoshop. Small, portable, and affordable, now you can draw and retouch in style, directly on a screen that covers 94% of Adobe RGB colors.

photo credit: Wacom

Microsoft Surface Dial

Even though our studio is equipped with state-of-the-art Apple stations, the Microsoft Surface Dial definitely caught our attention. It brings a tactile feel to editing and makes you feel like Tony Stark while you do it. (Watch the hands on video from TechCrunch.)

ms surface dial on screen — Studio 3, Inc.

photo credit: Microsoft

Adobe VoCo

This sneak peek that was unveiled last month at Adobe Max is bringing video editing to new heights. Soon, you’ll be able to edit sounds the same way you edit pixels, and we can’t wait to try it for ourselves. (Didn’t know we did video? You can see some of our work for yourself here.)

photo credit: Adobe

Chronos High Speed Camera

Want a camera that can shoot 21,000+ fps? Want it for 1/10th the price of other cameras? Um yeah, we can’t believe todays technology is this amazing either! Certainly a game-changer for any cinematographers looking for affordable slow motion capabilities.

photo credit: Kron Technologies

iPhone 7 Lightning splitter

Get a new iPhone 7 and missing some of those old ports? This dongle is a must have for any iPhone 7 owner, allowing you to play music and charge at the same time. Because… multi-tasking!

photo credit: Belkin

Now, reach out and let us know what inventive ideas you’ve got floating around in that noggin and what you’re inspired to create in 2017. We’re ready to collaborate with you on your next photography, video, or digital art project.

Thank You for Being a Friend…

Posted on November 28, 2016

Ever wonder how the hell Studio 3 has remained one of THE leading photography and video studios in the Pacific Northwest for like, ever?

client relationships — Studio 3, Inc.

Becoming a successful studio takes more than “having an eye for composition” and keeping up with the latest trends. Our success stems from the relationships we have built not only with our amazing clients, but also with our freelance stylists, set designers, photo and camera assistants, location scouts, key grips, gaffers, producers and production assistants. It really does take a village!

food stylist — Studio 3, Inc.

We’ve also spent countless hours volunteering in our local communities. Whether we’re donating our time preparing and serving food at a food bank, or hosting an event that will help women in need, we love to give back.

studio event — Studio 3, Inc.

We view every job (large or small), every client (new or established) with the same level of excitement as we did way back when we first started out in this crazy industry. For us, the key to success has always been about collaboration, trust, respect, understanding, and a genuine desire to have a great time while creating beautiful photos and videos.

toy hat — Studio 3, Inc.

Over the years, we’ve had many conversations start with “OMG remember the time we…” followed by an eruption of laughter. Thanks to our wonderfully creative clients, we’re going to keep rolling up our sleeves and continue to record these memories for years to come.

setting up plants indoors — Studio 3, Inc.

Although our talent pool is overflowing with rock stars that have a gajillion combined hours of experience, we know that what really keeps our client list growing and growing is all the TLC we put into nurturing those relationships, baby!

photos in pool — Studio 3, Inc.

Reach out anytime… we’d love to share a funny story or two over a cup of coffee and talk about ways we can collaborate with you on your next project! As always, keep your eyes on our social media channels – we LOVE to share photos of what happens on THIS side of the lens. Who knows, you might even score a cameo in one of our future posts!!

Chatting with Studio 3 Co-Founder, Jim Felt

Posted on October 25, 2016

Studio 3 has was established in 1978 by three high school buddies. We sat down with one of the founding members, Jim Felt, to learn a little more about his lengthy career in photography.

How long have you been a photographer?
I got my first camera in 8th grade but it didn’t occur to me then I would become a photographer and remain a photographer.

skater empty pool — Studio 3, Inc.

What was the biggest “uh oh” moment you can recall having on a set?
We forgot our light meter for a shoot in Oklahoma City. The shoot was during a sunset and we needed that light meter. We called every shop in town and of course nobody had anything for us to use. So I went ahead took the photo without a light meter and it turned out perfect anyway. The client never knew.

pilot sunset — Studio 3, Inc.

What was the most innovative “MacGyver moment” you’ve had on set?
I was at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama getting ready to shoot a space shuttle. The shuttle flew in on a 747 and we were there to do a mid-operation shoot. The problem was, how was I going to light this thing? I realized that this military base was full of firemen, so I walked up to them and asked them, “Hey, can we use your spotlights to light up this space shuttle?” They agreed and we got the firemen to use the spotlights on their trucks to light up the shuttle.

spaceshuttle 747 — Studio 3, Inc.

What was the craziest thing you caught on camera that wasn’t for a shoot?
It was 1968 and rioting over the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr had begun in the Lloyd Center area of Portland. My buddy and I were cruising around and pulled up to the completely empty parking lot of the Lloyd Center Mall. Armed with our Nikons, we approached the mall and it looked abandoned, except for the cop cars that were parked inside of the mall. We proceeded to walk around taking photos of this creepy, empty mall when finally we hear a voice, “What the hell do you think you are doing here?” It was the police, with their guns. They were telling us to leave and even tried to take our film. We had cameras and they had tommy guns.

jim portrait — Studio 3, Inc.

There have been some unbelievable moments that I’ve captured over the course of my photography career (some planned, some un-planned) and I wouldn’t trade my experience for any other profession in the world. It’s been exciting to watch Studio 3 grow through the “film-days”, into digital, and I can’t wait to see what happens next as we move into virtual/ augmented reality!

Virtual Reality Check with Google Cardboard

Posted on October 17, 2016

Virtual Reality! The future! It’s finally here!
Google Cardboard — Studio 3, Inc.

After decades of empty SciFi promises, the age of virtual reality has finally arrived, in the form of cardboard. Google Cardboard is an at-home virtual reality platform that requires nothing more than your smart phone in order to use it. This low-cost fun machine had been on our minds for quite some time, so we decided to ship a few viewers to both the Portland and Seattle studios.

dscn5852 — Studio 3, Inc. So being the fun, inspirational studio that we are, we’re always up for something new and thought it would just be criminal if we didn’t capture the reactions of our employees playing around with VR for the first time. So, we set up our cameras and recorded people as they watched and explored the age of new media.

We’ll be posting even more reactions and reviews from our employees this week on our Facebook and Instagram pages, so check them out. The possibilities of virtual reality are just now being explored, and we intend on following its evolution intensely. Swing by one of our studios to try Virtual Reality for yourself.

googlevr 066 — Studio 3, Inc.

Stop, Prop and Roll!

Posted on October 10, 2016

How’d you make it look so GOOD? Well, my dears, it takes quite a bit of searching to find just the right prop. Ask our producers and stylists, they’ve got TONS of hilarious stories about finding the perfect prop for the job!

Everything including the kitchen sink.

Stepping into our prop library, you’ll see that we have multiple racks with bins filled with fabric, sport helmets, fruit, tech supplies, mortars and pestles, and pretty much any object you can fathom. We keep it so organized, Martha Stewart would cry with pride.

Oh haiiiii, welcome to the prop — Studio 3, Inc.

Oh haiiiii, welcome to the prop library =^.^=

We keep a hefty inventory of household items on hand to recreate life-like sets. Cups, picture frames, hand towels; we’ve got all the odds-and-ends to spruce up a set. Of course we have a plethora of other homestyle necessities too: luggage, bird cages, mannequins and a gas mask.

No prop library is complete without a gas mask.

The prop library in our Seattle studio even has a fully functional shop attached to it, for when we need to build things for a shoot. What kind of things do we build for shoots? Kitchens, bathrooms, tables, even this beautifully lush “front yard.”

You can almost smell the fresh cut grass.

Need fruit, flowers, pie, towels, perhaps a stethoscope? We’ve got it! All sorts of items are constantly being added to our prop library and we are happy to add more to meet your needs. Give us a call and let’s get started on your photoshoot today.

Spirit Week in the Studio

Posted on September 26, 2016

Ready? OKAY!

In the Studio with Dehen — Studio 3, Inc.

Our PDX location had its very own Spirit Week as Dehen Cheer paid us a visit. Dehen manufactures custom cheer and dance uniforms. Thusly our spacious, new northeast studio was overtaken by color, hairspray, pom poms and tons of pep!

Maekup time in Studio Dehen — Studio 3, Inc.

Glamourous photoshoots require glamourous setups. There was no shortage of makeup on hand. Our studio has lots natural light to get the models camera ready.

Dehen Studio homework — Studio 3, Inc.

Being a high schooler on the set doesn’t mean getting the day off. These young women were hard at work in between shots. We asked what their favorite part of being in the studio was:
“There are so many good snacks!”
“Getting to know others teams outside of the competition.”
“I can nap on the couch until it’s my turn to be in front of the camera!”

Emerson showing off her patented “Cheer-Rex” pose.

We love working with kids! Emerson, the youngest person at the photoshoot, had a lot to say regarding her first modeling gig: “It is exciting. I like when they did my hair. Everyone is kind here and it is fun” adding, “I hope to get into karate next year.”

Big, grand productions are a specialty of ours at both the Portland and Seattle locations! We are more than a photo studio; let us handle the model releases, food, and all other behind-the-scenes needs. Give us a call and take over our studio.

Packaging & Shelf-Appeal

Posted on September 20, 2016

package imagery: getting your product dressed for success

Girvin Chips — Studio 3, Inc.

Look at the picture of chips above. Clean, enticing, inviting. Seeing that image on a bag of chips would immediately draw a person in, which is a sign of effective, marketable packaging. Having quality packaging is just as important as the product itself: the packaging is sort of like the product’s fashion statement. Think of it as properly dressing the product you are trying to sell. You wouldn’t send yourself on a job interview dressed in a potato sack and expect positive results. You’d dress sharp and do everything in your power to make a good first impression. The exact same logic can be applied to a product and how it is displayed on its packaging.

9685 — Studio 3, Inc.

Packaging photography is something we’ve perfected here at Studio 3. We know that packaging can catch a consumer’s eye, giving them that crucial first impression of the product. This moment of visual impact is called “shelf-appeal” and it is attained using imagery that promotes the usability, importance and attractiveness of the product.

db 9957 sqi pr copy — Studio 3, Inc.

A perfect example of a company that utilizes the power of packaging is our long-time client, Costco. Visit any Costco store and you will be met with aisle upon aisle of visual feasting and mass appeal. It just so happens that our primary request from Costco is for packaging work. Why do they prefer us to handle this task? Because at Studio 3, we place a focus on appealing and strategic product photography. We are able to meet the demands of an ever evolving and highly competitive marketplace. Ultimately, the client’s end goal–directly enhancing the sale of the product–is a goal and vision we share together.

Packaging Shelf Appeal — Studio 3, Inc.

Getting the perfect image for packaging involves much more than snapping a pretty picture of the product. The image has to highlight the product! This calls for props, sets, and even more props! For example, getting ready for a shoot can require a whole day of prop shopping and set construction. Each set requires many small and large details that are crucial to making the featured product stand out. Any given set could need flowers, chairs, cabinets, lights, food, candles, towels, etc.; all to help achieve the client’s end goal, shelf-appeal.

We weren’t kidding about the props.

There’s an entire artform behind enhancing a product’s shelf-appeal. We pride ourselves in our expert packaging photography and would love to help your product stand out. Give us a call and let’s chat about getting your product looking good.

Post-Production, Robot-Construction

Posted on September 5, 2016

Android mannequins?! In high fashion? Heck yes we’re on board.

One of our favorite Portland agencies, Frank Creative, contacted us with a wild and ambitious digital art project. When Frank reaches out, it’s a sure bet that an over-the-top project is headed our way. We love how they challenge us, in fact, we find it invigorating. Bring it on.

Frank approached us with images featuring fashionable robots, along with their sizable vision. The goal of this project was to do such seamless post-production work that anyone looking at these images would be unable to detect which parts were photographed and which were digitally crafted. Production meetings were a must in order to nail down the details of each image and push them further to perfection.

Rapha Vest before and after post production — Studio 3, Inc.

Fun fact: in the coveted Tour of Italy, pink is the color of victory; hence the pink stripe seen on the vest.

The key to making the robots look more mechanical was allowing the background to come through the figure, as in the cyclist’s left elbow (seen above). An added challenge with the Brevet Insulated Gilet from Rapha® photo was having to separate the bicycle from the image, so we could retouch the figure easily. This required creating a path around the bike to make a clean-edged knockout.

With the DragonWear™ Elements™ Flak Jacket image, we had to be extra careful while re-shaping the figure, because the lines in the background needed to remain straight. If we weren’t careful, the straight lines in the background would become bent with our distortion of the figure. Also with this image, we had to a perform a high level of wrinkle reduction and smoothing, all to be done without ruining the integrity or fit of the jacket.

The Lone Peak NeoShell® 3.0 Mid from Altra® image required extra attention to the background. Frank wanted it to look less urban, so we used some photoshop trickery to remove the buildings. Also being exemplified in this photo is the most difficult post-production request we had: creating segmented digits on the hands. It took a lot of time and patience to do things like placing the knuckles correctly, forming the correct shape, all while ensuring that the voids were consistent within the image itself and the series of images.

Robot army or no robot army, we enjoy pushing ourselves to create fantastic, unbelievable-yet-believable images. Do you have a project that needs to be brought to life? We can handle it.

The specially designed robotic mannequins in these images were a part of this year’s Polartec’s APEX Awards; an award dedicated to recognizing brands and designers that best utilize Portlatec’s latest fabric technologies. The robotic images and scenes were all photographed by Chris Hornbecker.

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Creatively Curated: Why Studio 3, Inc.’s Team is Top of the Line

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14 Reasons to Love Studio 3, Inc.

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Top Tech Toys for 2017

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Thank You for Being a Friend…

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Chatting with Studio 3 Co-Founder, Jim Felt

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Virtual Reality Check with Google Cardboard

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Stop, Prop and Roll!

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Spirit Week in the Studio

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Packaging & Shelf-Appeal

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Post-Production, Robot-Construction

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